Friday Fun: Gifts from the Kitchen

I make no secret of my love for food – buying it, cooking it and especially serving it to the people I love. I read about it, watch it on tv, and would talk about it all day long if my boss would write “carry out intense food conversations” into my job description.  I look forward to the day when I can cook for and serve my Savior, but, knowing Him, He’ll probably want to serve me instead. I look forward to that as well.

Yesterday, while I was in the middle of a very long mail merge, Tracy Terrill, Executive Director of Shepherds College, called me with what I thought was going to be a marketing question or a request for a website update. Imagine my glee when I heard this on the other end of the line, “Susan, everything that comes out of Chef McCarthy’s kitchen is outstanding, but there are two things that he’s made with the students recently that I can’t stop thinking about. I think you should ask him for the recipes and post them on the blog.”

He didn’t have to ask me twice! The mail merge could wait.

This recipe is proof that, most of the time, simple food is best. Mr. Terrill said, “I don’t know that I’ve ever had better stuffing.”

Stuffing:

·         18 oz. (one loaf) of cut up fresh white bread (hearty, white bread works best)

·         1 stick of butter

·         ¾  cup or about three stalks (leaves and very ends of stalk removed) of very finely chopped celery (be sure to wash your celery well)

·         ¾ cup or one small onion, finely chopped

·         2-3 cups of hot chicken broth (homemade is best, but Swanson works well, too.)

Toast bread cubes in a hot oven (375°-400°) for about 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° and keep oven on after removing bread cubes.

Meanwhile melt butter in a large sauté or wide mouth sauce pan.

Add onions and celery and cook out on low heat until onions are translucent.

Add toasted bread cubes and stir.

Turn off heat and slowly add hot chicken broth, turning bread cubes as you add the hot broth.  Add just enough broth until the bread cubes start to stick together and are moist, but not wet or soggy.

Place stuffing in a casserole dish and spread evenly and flat. 

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until stuffing is brown and slightly crispy looking, but not dried out on top.

Chef McCarthy served this stuffing with sliced turkey and gravy poured over the top. Try it for a holiday meal.

The next recipe would be a wonderful addition to your Christmas cookie platter.  Mr. Terrill LOVED them and thought they were “to die for.” And yes, he really said that. That’s just how good they are.

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• ½ cup butterscotch morsels
• ½ cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and coconut.

Scoop out cookie dough using a small 1 ounce ice cream scoop or a heaping teaspoon. Place three across and four down on a standard, ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 325° for 10-14 minutes until well-spread and golden brown. Be careful not to over bake!

Cool for two minutes before eating. Or sharing. Or eating half and sharing the rest.

Merry Christmas from the Culinary Arts kitchen ... and Mr. Terrill!

 

 
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